The use of materials in a mechanical manner and electronic is fundamental to society. Different materials such as steel and carbon fibre are well sought after for their mechanical strength to weight characteristics.
Additionally, new materials having new improved properties are always desirable. Also materials having unique electrical properties are also highly desirable where they have a high degree of utility.
Further, in recent years, a huge industry has been created in the fabrication of integrated circuit type devices on silicon wafers etc. Huge research investments continue to be made in the continued muniturization of electronic circuits and the building up of complex 3 dimensional structures layer by layer on a semiconductor wafer.
In 1991, Sumio Iigima reported the discovery of carbon nanotube type devices. The discovery of carbon nanotubes has been recognised as a new fascinating material with nanometer dimensions and promising exciting new areas of carbon chemistry and physics.
For a series of background articles on the application of carbon nanotube type devices, reference is made to the text “carbon nanotubes” edited by Endo, Iigima and Dressel Haus published 1996 by Elsevier Science Limited. The publication contained a number of survey articles covering the field.
Unfortunately, the construction of nanotube type devices proceeds in a somewhat haphazard and uncontrolled manner. Nanotubes are known to be formed in a DC arc discharge or the catalytic composition of acetylene in the presence of various supported transition metal catalysts.
Unfortunately, such arrangements tend to lead to disordered forms of carbon nanotubes which limits their utility through the limitation of the ability to construct complex devices from the nanotubes.